This application claims the benefit of Australian Patent Application No. PP3086, filed Apr. 21, 1998 and Australian Patent Application No. PP7312, filed Nov. 26, 1998.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a medical or related device and in particular to an exercise device for improving the health and well-being of a person. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exercise device for toning or strengthening the abdominal muscles or the abdominal region of a person using the device. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to an exercise device which supports the back of a wearer or user of the device whilst presenting a load or resistance against which the abdominal muscles are exercised in order to tone or strengthen the abdominal muscles. It is thought that the effect of toning or strengthening the abdominal muscles in that the pelvic contours are realigned. The present invention finds particular application as a portable or transportable exerciser for improving the health or well-being of a person by permitting the abdomninal area of the person to be improved by exercise, which exercise can be performed even when the person is in a sedentary position or engaged in a sedentary activity, such as sitting or driving a motor vehicle.
2. Related Art
Although the present invention will be described with particular reference to one form of the exerciser, it is to be noted that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the described embodiment, but rather the scope of the present invention is more extensive so as to include other arrangements and embodiments of the device, its use for other purposes than described, and its use in other applications.
As society becomes increasing sedentary, there is less opportunity and time available for exercising, particularly exercising whilst performing other tasks such as sitting at work, in an office, driving a motor vehicle or the like. In a sitting position it is not usually possible for a person to improve the tone or strength of their abdominal region through exercise since existing exercise machines usually have moving parts that must be moved in order to exercise the abdominal or other muscles. The lack of opportunity and availability to exercise results in a deterioration of the tone and strength of the abdominal muscles and surrounding regions of the body. Increasingly, industrialized societies such as those of the western world have a high incidence of people with weak or atrophied abdominal muscles or abdominal regions caused by excessive sitting and/or lack of exercise, particularly exercise of the muscles located in or about abdominal region. It is not always convenient to exercise at work, home or whilst driving, and with more stressful modem lifestyles there is often little or no time available for exercising, particularly exercising the abdominal muscles, involving the use of conventional exercise machines. Therefor, there is a need to be able to exercise the abdominal region whilst engaged in other pursuits.
The deterioration of muscle condition in the abdominal region results in some physical malfunctions, such as for example back pain, hernias, and digestive inefficiencies and disorders. Additionally the lack of support from these muscles may cause the pelvis to misalign. Although poor muscle tone in the abdominal region is not the sole cause of many malfunctions or disorders, it is a contributing factor. Therefore, if it were possible to increase the strength and tone of the abdominal region, improved health and well-being should result and many malfunctions and disorders could be ameliorated, if not eliminated or prevented entirely.
Another health problem afflicting an increasing number of the population is back pain. It is thought that at least some of the causes of back pain result from poor abdominal muscle tone or low abdominal muscle strength. It is also thought that pelvic misalignment causes some, if not all, of the unexplainable lower back pain for which medical practitioners and other health workers cannot identify a cause. It is also believed that pelvic misalignment is the cause of sciatica and related conditions. Therefore, if the condition of the abdominal region of a person suffering from back pain is improved, there should be a corresponding improvement in the back pain. Accordingly, there is a need to provide an increased opportunity and availability to improve the strength and tone of abdominal muscles and the abdominal region by exercise in order to alleviate back complaints.
One problem of existing exercise devices for toning the abdominal region is that such devices are usually large and bulky and require the use of moving parts, some of which are heavy, in order to exercise, which in turn requires space for the exercise machine to be stored and/or located, including in some embodiments having to be firmly fixed to the floor or similar. Owing to their nature, size and use, such exercise machines cannot be used to exercise the abdominal region whilst the person using them is performing other tasks. Normally, such previously available devices have required the person using the exercise device to adopt a number of different positions or postures, including moving through the variety of positions during the performance of the exercise regime. Therefore, there is a need for an exercise device that can be used to tone or condition the abdominal region of a person whilst that person is engaged in another activity such as sitting at a desk, working in an office, driving a vehicle, or similar, and which is compact, lightweight and portable.
Previous attempts at reducing back pain have involved the use of external back and stomach supports primarily to provide support for persons at risk of pain when engaged in active sports or recreational pursuits. One such combined support is made of two flexible pads interconnected together by one or more flexible straps in which one of the pads is a back pad contoured to the shape and curvature of the small of the back of the person wearing the support in order to provide support for the back, whilst the other pad is an abdominal support pad for supporting the abdominal region of the person wearing the support. The primary object of using such supports is merely to provide support for the body of the wearer and not to increase the strength of the relevant parts of the body through exercise or by following a specific and/or rigorous exercise regime. The front and rear pads of such supports are essentially flexible allowing the pads to conform to the body as it moves and to continue to provide support for the body as it undergoes changes during the movement, such as for example when playing sport or engaged in recreational pursuits. As the support is essentially flexible, it does not provide a load or resistance against which it is possible to exercise, as is required of the exercise device of the present invention.
Accordingly, it is one aim of the present invention to provide an exercise device which allows the tone or strength of the abdominal muscles or abdominal region of a person to be improved, thereby improving the health and well-being of a person suffering from any one of a number of complaints attributable to weak abdominal muscles, such as for example back pain, hernias, digestive inefficiencies, or the like.
It is another aim of the present invention to provide a portable or transportable exercise device that may be used to improve the condition of the abdominal region of a person using the device whilst the person is engaged in other activities, particularly whilst the person remains seated.
It is another aim of the present invention to provide an exerciser having a rigid front portion which can be used as a load or resistance against which it is possible to exercise the muscles in the abdominal region in order to increase the muscle tone and to build the abdominal muscle tissue of a person.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an exercise device, particularly adapted to improve the condition of the abdominal region including the abdominal muscles of a person, comprising a rear member for contacting a portion of the back of a person in order to provide support for the back in use of the device, a substantially rigid front member for contacting a portion of the abdominal region of a person during use of the device to present a load or resistance against which the abdominal region can be exercised, and a jointed and rigid adjustment means interconnecting the back and front members in order to adjust the magnitude of the load or resistance applied to the abdominal region, whereby the condition of the abdominal region of a person using the exercise device can be improved by tensing of the abdominal region against the load.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of exercising the abdominal region of a person, including the abdominal muscles, comprising attaching an exercise device to the person, said exercise device comprising a rear member for contacting a portion of the back of the person to provide support for the back, a substantially rigid front member for contacting a portion of the abdominal region to present a load or resistance, and an adjustment means interconnecting the front and rear members for adjusting the load presented by the device, adjusting the load presented by the device, and pushing, flexing or otherwise moving the muscles of the abdominal region against the front member, thereby exercising the abdominal muscles to improve the condition of the abdominal region.
Typically, the rear member of the device of the present invention is a back support, preferably a solid back support for providing support for the back in use of the device for exercising the abdominal region. Typically, the rear member is adapted to contact the small of the back of the wearer. More typically, the rear member is a rigid plate or similar covered with a contoured resilient material. Even more typically, the contour comprises a curve from upper to lower and from side to side. More typically, the rear member is a rigid single unit incorporating the rigid plate.
Typically, the back plate is a personally molded, tailor made bespoke unit in that the back plate is molded or otherwise made from thermoplastic material which can be shaped to the actual contour of an individual patient""s back so that it can adopt the exact shape of the individual patient""s upper pelvis. More typically, the back place is remolded as a result of improvements in muscle tone due to the exercise program. Even more typically, the back plate is repeatedly remolded as the pelvic area realigns.
More typically, the rear member provides the foundation for the load or resistance offered by the device during use. Even more typically, the rear member can be used to exercise the back muscles in order to improve their tone or condition. More typically, the rear member is provided with connection means, coupling means, fastening means or the like for interconnecting the front member thereto. Even more typically, the connection means is adjustable so as to adjust the size of the exerciser to the person. More typically, the adjustment means adds to the rigidity of the back member.
Typically, the front member for contacting the fleshy abdominal region of a person is contoured to conform generally to the shape of the abdominal region. Typically, the front member comprises a pad or similar provided with a pair of spaced apart curved arms extending outwardly from the pad towards the wearer in use of the device. More typically, the outwardly extending arms are curved inwardly to conform to the contours of a person and/or to partially envelop the abdominal region of the person. Typically, the front member is provided with coupling means, contractor means or fastening means to assist in interconnecting the front and rear members.
Typically, the adjustment means interconnecting the rear member and front member is provided with an adjustment to vary the size of the device by varying the distance between the front and rear member in order to accommodate different sized people. More typically, there are one, two, three, four or more individual adjustment means which contribute to adjusting the size of the device. Even more typically, the adjustment means are infinitely variable between limits. Alternatively, the adjustment means are stepwisely adjustable between limits. Typically, adjustment of the adjustment means adjusts the load presented by the device. More typically, the adjustment means alters the tension or effort that has to be exerted by the muscles when exercising to tone the muscles. Even more typically, the adjustment means is used to adjust the front plate with respect to the abdominal muscles so as to determine the length of extension of the abdominal muscles when exercising and the amount of effort required.
Typically, the exercise device can be used to condition the abdominal region of a person by moving the muscles in that region against the device whilst that person is engaged in another activity, such as for example an activity involving sitting down. More typically, the person wears the exercise device whilst sitting or driving or the like.
Typically, the exercise device operates on the principle of supporting the lower back in direct proportion to the pressure being exerted by the abdominal muscles. This allows the user to exercise abdominal muscles to their maximum power, without aggravating the existing damage to the lower back and/or pelvic areas.
It is thought that such damaged or misaligned regions can be given an appropriate and natural support to rebuild the abdominal muscles, which ultimately results in the user""s health returning.
Typically, one of the benefits of the exerciser of the present invention and the exercise regime undertaken when using the exerciser is to produce strong and effective abdominal muscles, by the effective, strenuous exercising of abdominal muscles independently of other body regions, except for the user""s lower back which is of necessity enveloped by the back plate.
It is to be noted that the back plate of the exercise device serves dual functions, being to rigidly contain the lower back region skeletal frame, and to be an immovable foundation to which the front plate of the exerciser is anchored.
Typically, the exercise device of the present invention is worn such that the interconnection means or adjustment means is arranged to be clear of the hip bones and pelvic bones of the user. Additionally, the exerciser is so shaped and arranged that the front plate or pad does not contact the hip or pelvic bones but rather the front member contacts the fleshy part of the abdominal region.
More typically, the exercise device of the present invention is unique in that its rigidity and clearance from the hip and pelvic bones offers the user the opportunity of exerting maximum abdominal muscle tension without causing pressure pain to the hip and pelvic bones or the tissue covering these bones.
Typically, in use of the exerciser of the present invention, the abdominal region is rejuvenated by being exercised independently of other muscles.
Typically, use of the exercise device of the present invention realigns the pelvis and/or pelvic contours of the person using the device. It is thought that when a patient""s pelvic frame realigns, there is a reduction in the pain experienced by the patient. Continued use of the device of the present invention may well result in complete pain relief or at least a substantial reduction in the amount of pain experienced by the patient.
More typically, the exercise program involving the use of the exerciser of the present invention is as follows:
1) Clip the device around the abdominal region of the body and tighten the interconnecting means until the device feels firm but not tight.
2) Repeatedly tense and relax the stomach muscles in turn over the period of exercise.
3) Remold the back plate after a period of time of exercising (such as for example after some weeks) and continue exercising, repeating the previous steps.
Typically, the pelvic bones are realigned as a result of the continued exercising, which necessitates a remolding of the back plate.